My favorite place to play golf added something new. Something interesting, I have not seen at another golf course, to this point. At first, I couldn’t figure out the purpose of these red stakes. It took me, playing a few holes to realize, they were set up beside each putting surface. It was challenging to understand why the stakes were set in those positions. As the round of golf progressed, I would look at them and wonder. Until, my playing partner propped a golf club up against one of the stakes. The action happened around the seventh hole of the evening. When I initially glanced at the golf club leaning against the red stake, I noticed something unique. Looking away, the feeling came over me to look back, again. Like some detail had been lost with my first glance. Sure enough, inside my first view of the golf club against the stake, an element had been missed. For me, it had been overlooked when I looked at the red stakes around the previous greens. The stakes had a piece pointing out from one of the sides. Appearing like it had been screwed into the side of each red stake, toward the top. The piece extended out to form a kind of cradle, in which to rest the top of a golf club. When I could grasp the full purpose of these red stakes, a feeling of pride came through my emotions. It was exciting to know this kind of thing had occurred in one of my favorite places.
There are golf courses designed to be walked. Were the green on one hole might be close in proximity to the teeing area of the following golf hole. The shorter the distance between a green and a tee box, the more conducive the course would be for walking. At other times, a golf course will be designed with significant distance between the green and teeing area. There might be situations where the golfer crosses roadways to move from one hole to the next. On golf courses where the distance between holes continues to be long, taking a golf cart becomes a positive option. However, playing golf while riding in a cart, brings about its own set of behaviors. One of the most substantial seems to be keeping the cart away from the putting surface and teeing ground. When climbing out of the golf cart to hit the first shot on a hole, usually only one club is required. The only concern might be the distance a player would like to hit the shot. In most cases, I would be pulling one club from my golf bag, and making the short walk to the teeing ground. The equation isn’t quite as simple when playing the golf ball around the greens. Usually, when parking the golf cart around the putting surface, the cart remains a good distance away from the green. Making it challenging and time consuming to return to the cart if another golf club becomes necessary. Meaning, if my ball sits somewhere around the putting surface, instead of being on the green, I might need multiple clubs. Like a wedge, in addition to my putter. I would carry both clubs to the green with me, as not to require walking back to the golf cart.
When a golfer has the opportunity to walk the golf course, this scenario doesn’t apply. If I were playing golf while carrying my clubs. Often the bag would have a collapsing stand attached. Providing me the ability to set the golf bag down just beside any green. With the golf bag being that close, I would have the ability to retrieve any club I might need, within seconds. There would be no need to set my wedge on the putting surface, while I utilize the putter to hit my final shots. Which, often becomes the occurrence when riding in a golf cart. If my golf ball were to end up in a green side bunker, or settle in the grass around the green, I would most likely need a wedge for that shot. Encouraging me to pull my putter and wedge from my golf bag, on the cart, before walking toward the green. Leaving me to carry two golf clubs from the cart to the putting surface. Usually, in this case, I would use my wedge for the shot from the bunker, or grass off the green. Then, set the wedge down somewhere on or around the putting surface, before finishing the hole. On my walk, back to the golf cart, I would most likely bend over to pick up the wedge, I had used to advance the ball onto the green. It has been a routine performed countless times in my life, playing golf. Something my dad talked to me about countless times, as I learned to play.
Golf clubs being used around the green could easily be forgotten. For this reason, my father spent time teaching me to set any extra club directly on the putting surface. More specifically was to place in along your walking path back to the golf cart. The tactic accomplished a couple of concepts. Placing a wedge on the putting surface meant it could be more easily noticed. Instead of setting it down in the taller grass beside the green. Where it could disappear into the blades of grass and become more easily forgotten. The second tip was trying to leave an extra club in the walking path back to the golf cart. If I finish putting and begin walking back to the cart. An extra club of mine should be easily noticed, sitting on the shot grass of the putting surface, in my line of sight, walking back to the golf cart. A wedge can easily become lost if hitting a chip from the long grass beside the green, setting a wedge down immediately in the longer grass, and picking up the putter to go finish the hole. By the time all puts are sunk to conclude the hole, a player might have already forgotten the chip shot they struck, and the wedge set down in the grass. They walk off the green and drive to the next teeing ground. Not until they need the wedge for another shot, do they realize it has gone missing. Maybe they remember the hole they left it on, or maybe not. But, even if they do remember, it could take time walking through taller grass to locate the wedge. These red stakes set up on the side of each green at Prospector help eliminate multiple would be challenges.
When the purpose of the red stakes registered in my mind. The first thoughts involved the challenges of my disability. Being given the opportunity to lean an extra golf club against one of those stakes would only be helpful. It would mean not having to bend over and pick a wedge up from the ground. Making my round of golf a simpler on my body and limiting fatigue. Even though I embrace the challenge of setting a wedge flatly on the green and picking it up on my walk back to the golf cart. On those days when the action might get challenging, the stakes would be a great option. The stakes also seem great for the aging golfer, who might struggle with the thought of reaching toward the ground. They could also benefit from placing an extra club against the red stakes provided. It could aid them similarly to my challenges with cerebral palsy. In terms of lessening the amount of fatigue being felt during a game of golf. Especially, taking away the extra effort that doesn’t directly relate to playing. If some of the extra movement can be eliminated, more energy would be directed toward swinging the golf club. Providing the opportunity to play longer into the day with added strength. For someone like me, with a physical challenge of any kind, the conservation of energy seems something important to consider. The red stakes feel like a simple add with a possibly large impact.
The red stakes were one of the coolest things I had seen on a golf course, in a while. The concept of providing assistance to people who have challenges was impressive. Prospector golf course has long held a special place in my heart. Even the entire development of Suncadia has incredible meaning. As the place has brought peace to my soul many of the most challenging times in my life. The resort might be one of the first places where I have learned to ignore the naysayers. Many times, during my life, if I enjoyed something or thought it was a cool place, my mind could be easily turned. A family member or friend could voice an opinion of negativity, and I would quickly rethink my position. Having lived much of my life with an amazing desperation to be accepted. But, this place in the cascades has carried a different impact inside my world. I have heard the complaints throughout the years over this thing or that situation. How there are deficiencies with the resort in all these contexts. I always try listening without immediately dismissing their points of view. But, every time I drive onto the property, I get that magical feeling of calm and safety. The moment always arrives when I think about those negative comments and realize I disagree. Suncadia will always be a great escape for me and the red stakes show an element of thinking about the challenges of others.
A Journey With Cerebral Palsy 